High-speed inlet vane



March 1941. M. s. KlCE, JR

HIGH-SPEED INLET VANE Filed July 22. 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR M01507) 6. I065, M2.

A TTORNEYS' March 4, 1941. M s cE, JR 2,233,983

HIGH-SPEED INLET VANE Filed July 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VENTOR Mmeem J. mar, .12.

A TTORNAFYS.

March 4, 1941. M. s. KICE, JR

HIGH-SPEED INLET VANE Filed July 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR A TTORNE Y5 March 4, 1941.

M. S. KI CE, JR

HIGH-SPEED INLET VANE Filed July 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR M01664) .5. A765, JE.

A TTORNEKS'.

II \I III 11 [HI] I'll.

Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HIGH- SPEED INLET VANE Application July 22, 1938, Serial No. 220,634

9 Claims.

lvly invention relates to air handling equipment and particularly to fans.

It is an object of this invention to provide an arrangement for supporting and positioning inlet 5 vanes mountedin inlet passageways in fans.

It is my particular object to provide means for supporting the inlet vanes so that they can be readily attached and detached from the fan and so that they can be positioned within the inlet of the fan casing and within the fan itself .and so that they can be readily adjusted.

It is an object to provide means for mounting for adjustment in open or closed or intermediate positions of vanes with their axes at right angles to the fan shaft and .at right angles to the axis of the inlet passageway.

It is an object to provide a stream-lined actuating hub construction.

It is an object to provide a novel means for simultaneously, equally, or proportionately adjusting said vanes.

It is an object to provide means for assembly and disassembly of said vanes and their adjusting mechanism without disturbing the fan or the inlet passageway construction.

It is an object to provide straight rods for supporting the vanes at right angles to the shaft of the fan with adjustable sleeves slotted to drive the vanes with one driving rod attached to the vane and gear and working in bearings at both ends.

It is an object to eliminate the danger of moving the inlet .and causing it to hit the wheel that is inherent with the principal methods in the art of actuating the vanes with the yoke and rod at the center. This invention also eliminates the difficulty experienced with the angular displacement of this driving rod in order to get it outside the inlet.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the fan, looking toward an inlet with the vanes open;

Figure 2 is .a section taken longitudinally through the fan, transverse of the fan axis, looking outwardly from the inside of the fan casing. This section is taken on the line 22 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section, with several of the tubes broken away to show the arrangement of the supports for the vanes and gearing;

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing the arrangement of the supports and gearing;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure '7 is a section on the line 1--l of Figure 5, lookin in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 8 is an arcuate section through the vanes as seen in Figure 4 to show how adjacent vanes overlap and clutch, thus forming a fiat continuous surface. This view is taken on the section line 8-8 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 9 illustrates the overlapping of the double surface vanes. This is a magnified portion of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawin s in detail, I is the conventional scroll casing of the fan 2 which is mounted upon a shaft 3. The casing l is provided with inlet passageways formed by the Venturishaped members 4 mounted on either side of the casing, l. The inner ends of these members, at .5, are arranged in spaced parallel overlapping, or

not overlapping, position with respect to the fan shrouds 6.

The vanes l are provided with sleeve-like portions 8 that are preferably made of copper or aluminum. The sleeve-like portions 8 are rotatably mounted upon the rods 9 that, are located at right angles to the axis of the inlet passageway 4 and the fan shaft 3. The vanes, at their inner ends, are mounted within slots ll! of the collar II which is mounted on the outside of the hub ill, the inner end of which is formed into the beveled pinion l3. The collar H is held upon the hub l2 by the set screw I4. This collar ll rests upon one half of the streamline housing designated ill, The turned-over portion thereof is designated Hi. This housing extends to the shaft 3. In the case of a single inlet fan with two bearings on one side and an overhung fan wheel, the shaft does not extend to the housing consisting of the two parts 15 and IT. When the shaft does pass through this housing, the holes in the housing l5 and H are larger than the shaft so that the parts l5 and I! do not touch the shaft 3. This clearance is a small one so that it is not easy to show it in the drawings which are relatively diagrammatic. The other half of this housin is designated I1 and is turned over at I8 in overlapping engagement with the turned-over portion N3 of the other half of this housing. The beveled gear l9 engages with a plurality of bevel pinions I3, each of which is mounted upon the lower ends of the rods 9. Gear i9 is supported on the ring 2| and held in position by the ring 23, which is fastened to 2| by means of the screws 24. A few of these screws 24 also pass through part I! so as to hold it in place, but, at the same time, to permit of it being removed easily.

The inner end of these rods 9 is provided with a nut for retaining the pinions l3 in position. This end of the rod is also mounted within the ring 2| retained by the bolts 22 in the half of the housing designated l5.

When it is desired to disassemble this gearing, the housing H can be removed, and the plate 23 detached by loosening the screws 24 from the plate 2|. All this can be done from the exterior of the fan.

One of the rods 9, which are normally retained by the nuts 25 in position with respect to the casing 5, is provided with an extension rod 26 that extends out through the casing I, where it can be rotated by any suitable means. On the outer end of this rod 26 is a collar 21 engaging the inner ball race 28 of a ball bearing assembly 29 which is mounted within a housing 30 mounted on the outside of the casing I. The rotation of the rods 26 and 9 thus results in the rotation of the pinion l3, the movement of the bevel gear I9 and the corresponding movement of the other pinions l3.

The particular rod 9 that is thus actuated by the rod 26 is mounted at its inner end so as to freely turn within a bearing member 3! mounted on the ring plate 2 I. The other rods not so actuated are threaded at 2la into this plate and do not rotate. The pinions I3, collars II and the interconnected vanes 1 rotate through an angle of ninety degrees. It will be noted that the vanes 1 are made up of two flat plates secured'together in any suitable manner in face-engaging relation,

as indicated in Figure 9.

By the use of the two opposed vane plates I of the blades and the semi-circular portions 8 which form the complete sleeve, a strong flat blade is' provided. Furthermore, by having the wings of each blade of diiferent length, the adjacent blades, when all blades are closed, overlap and form a continuous tight surface, as will be seen in Figures 6, 8 and 9.

Certain features shown and described but not claimed in this application are disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 231,981, filed September 27, 1938. The present application is directed to the association of a plurality of vanes positioned in the inlet of a fan casing, the blades being arranged to overlap and seal the inlet opening. The invention is also directed to a structure involved for producing such an arrangement and for mounting the vanes in proper association with respect each other for accomplishing this purpose. More specifically, the invention includes an apparatus for mounting the vanes with respect the operating mechanism so that all of the vanes can be operated simultaneously for accomplishing the purposes of arcuate portions to form sleeves, and rods adapted to support said vanes within said sleeves, said opposing faces of the vanes being of difierent width on each vane so as to overlap with and interengage with the next adjacent vane.

2. In combination, an air control system comvane;

3. In combination, a fan casing having an inlet passageway, a plurality of rods mounted in said passageway, an internally disposed ring mounted on the inner ends of said rods, a ring gear rotatably mounted on said ring, a plurality of bevel pinions engaging with said gear, each of which is mounted on a rod rotatably thereon, a

plurality of inlet vanes rotatably mounted on said rods, means connected with said pinions for engaging the inner ends of said vanes, and means for actuating said gears for rotating said vanes on said rods, said vanes comprising opposed sheets having longitudinally disposed semi-circular depressions in the center thereof, the opposing faces of said vanes overlapping on opposite sides so that one of the sheets extends beyond the other sheet on one side and on the other side the second sheet extends beyond the first sheet,

whereby the edges of adjacent vanes can overlap and interengage.

4. As an article of manufacture, a blade for a fan comprising two opposed plates secured flatwise together, each of said plates being provided with a semi-cylindrical portion which constitutes a sleeve when the plates are assembled, said portion being positioned remote from the middle line of each plate whereby When the plates are assembled to form a blade and a sleeve thereon, the edge of one of the plates will project beyond the edge of. the other of the plates.

5. As an article of manufacture, a blade for a fan comprising two opposed plates secured flatwise together, each of said plates being provided with a semi-cylindrical portion which constitutes a sleeve when the plates are assembled, said portion being positioned remote from the middle line of each plate whereby when the plates are assembled to form a blade and a sleeve thereon, the edge of one of the plates will project beyond the edge of the other of the plates, the center line of said blades passing through the axis of said sleeve.

6. In combination, a fan casing provided with a passageway, a fan rotor having its shaft axially aligned in said passageway, a plurality of inlet vanes arranged at right angles to said shaft in said passageway, each of said vanes comprising two opposed plates secured flatwise together, each of said plates being provided with a semi-cylindrical portion which constitutes a sleeve when the plates are assembled, rods mounted in said passageway, the sleeves formed from said plates loosely surrounding said rods respectively, means for actuating said vanes on said rods, said semicylindrical portion of each plate being positioned remote from the middle line of its plate, whereby when the plates are assembled to form the vane and the sleeve thereon the edge of one of the plates will project beyond the edge of the other of the plates so that as the vanes are moved to their closed position by said actuating means the projecting portion of each vane will abut the projecting portion of the adjacent vane and the passageway will be tightly closed.

7. In combination, a fan casing provided with a passageway, a fan rotor having its shaft axially aligned in said passageway, a plurality of inlet vanes arranged at right angles to said shaft in said passageway, each of said vanes comprising two opposed plates secured fiatwise together, each of said plates being provided with a semi-cylindrical portion which constitutes a sleeve when the plates are assembled, rods mounted in said passageway, the sleeves formed from said plates being rotatably mounted on said rods, means for actuating said vanes on said rods, said actuating means being located on the inner ends of said vanes, said semi-cylindrical portion of each plate being positioned remote from the middle line of its plate, whereby when the plates are assembled to form the vane and the sleeve thereon the edge of one of the plates will project beyond the edge of the other of the plates, the center line of the vane passing through the aXis of said sleeve whereby when the vanes are moved to their closed position the projecting portion of each vane will abut the projecting portion of the adjacent vane and the passageway will be tightly closed.

8. In combination, a fan casing, a fan rotor on a shaft in said casing, a plurality of vanes provided with central sleeves, a rod for each vane extending transversely of said shaft, said sleeves being rotatably mounted on the respective rods, a hub-bed member surrounding the inner end of each rod, a slotted collar secured to each hub, the inner ends of the vanes being received respectively within the slots of the collars, and means for rotating each hubbed member in order to move the vanes from a closed to an open position and vice versa.

9. In combination, a fan casing, a fan rotor mounted on a shaft in said casing, a plurality of vanes cooperating with said rotor and provided with a central sleeve, a rod for each sleeve extending transversely of said shaft, said sleeves being rotatably mounted on the respective rods, the inner ends of said sleeves terminating in pinions, a gear rotatably mounted in said casing and meshing with said pinions in order to cause simultaneous rotation of the sleeves and vanes as the gear is rotated, said pinions having hubs which extend to the opposite side of the pinions from the gear, a slotted collar around each hub, the

lower ends of the vanes being received respectively within the slots of the collars, and means for rotating said gear from a position external to said casing.

MURRAY S. KICE, JR. 

